1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of amusement rides wherein patrons seated in cars are moved along a track, the cars are suspended from the track, and the car is pointed in various directions to view specific portions of the attraction. Optionally, a motion base positioned between the car and the track also allows for the simulation of movement, for example, the simulation of flight in various directions.
2. Prior Art
Amusement park rides and exhibit presentation systems employing cars, trams, or other means for moving patrons through the ride or exhibit have developed significantly over the past twenty years. Developers of amusement park rides have led the way in this field, exploring ways to enhance the experience of patrons in so called “dark rides”—rides in which patrons are physically taken through a story that is presented to the patrons as they travel from scene to scene.
Prior to the 1990's, all but the forward motion (in the direction of the track) of a car of a dark ride was controlled by mechanical cams or a similar mechanism—if any such rotational motion was even provided. An example of such a system was employed at the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland, a chain-linked vehicle (CLV) system wherein all the ride system vehicles are linked together to form a continuous chain that all run at the same velocity and are powered by propulsive motor systems permanently mounted to the track. These systems employed mechanical cam rails embedded within or adjacent the track to activate cam followers on the car to rotate the viewing portion or seat at appropriate locations. While these systems proved to be extremely reliable, the cost and complexity of such mechanical cam systems is high. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, once implemented, alteration of such mechanical systems requires extensive replacement or refurbishment of mechanical parts—likely the fabrication and installation of a new rail the entire length of the track. Further, the replacement of just a portion of the rail could result in significant jolts to the patrons. Consequently, the flexibility desired in design of various scenes and sequences in the amusement park ride or positioning of displays in an exhibit was severely limited. Still further, rotation of the seat or viewing portion of the car about a second or third axis required a second or third cam and corresponding rail, multiplying the cost and complexity. Finally, these mechanical cam systems further suffered from the inability to rotate through a full 360 degrees or more.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,221 (“the '221 patent”) issued to Eduard Feuer and Ronald Brown in 1996 represented a significant improvement over these mechanical cam systems. The invention of the '221 patent replaced the mechanical cam system of Haunted Mansion with an electric motor controlled by a PLC or similar logic device. The PLC of the '221 patent receives signals from sensor activators placed along a track, and sends corresponding signals to an electric motor which rotates the seating portion of the ride vehicle. The '221 patent, however, did not teach a system ideal for simulating movement, for example flight, nor did that system allow for more than the simplest movement in the yaw and pitch directions, and no movement in the roll direction.
A number of simulators have also developed, including several flight simulators, and been employed in amusement park attractions. The Soaring ride at Disney's California Adventure theme park is illustrative of these flight simulators. Patrons are seated in a theater like configuration, with a large screen in front of them. Video footage, presumably taken from an airplane as it flies over various California landmarks, is displayed on the screen. Near the beginning of the simulation, the patrons are raised from the floor such that their legs are dangling, to further promote the feeling that the patrons are themselves flying. Various flight characteristics, for example diving and turning, are simulated by known combinations of movements of the simulator, mainly by changes in the pitch and roll of the patrons' seating portions, as corresponding video and audio footage is displayed to the patrons.
Another example of a flight simulator employed at an amusement park is the Back to the Future attraction at Universal Studios Florida park. Similar to the Soaring attraction, with the Back to the Future attraction, flight movements are simulated by abrupt changes in the pitch and roll of the simulator (a replica of a Delorean automobile as modified in the 1980s movie “Back to the Future”), timed to correspond with video and audio footage displayed to the patrons. The Back to the Future vehicles are supported from underneath, resulting in undesired moving sensations as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,592,374 B1 and 7,033,177 B2. The simulators of the Soaring and Back to the Future attractions are generally stationary—they do not move along a track from one scene to another, as with a typical dark ride.
There also exist dark ride attractions with an overhead track. The Peter Pan attraction at Disneyland and the ET attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood are the most notable examples of dark ride attractions with vehicles that traverse an overhead track. The ride systems for these attractions are fairly simple—they have no ability to impart rotational movements in the yaw, pitch or roll directions to simulate movement or direct a patron's viewpoint toward desired scenery. Rather, the ride vehicles' only motion is forward relative to the overhead track.
There also exist dark ride attractions that simulate flight with a floor-mounted track. The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure in Florida and the Cosmic Adventure attraction at the Taipei Astronomical Museum both use systems that traverse a conventional track affixed to the floor. These ride systems are a bit more complex in that they have the ability to impart rotational movements in the yaw, pitch and sometimes roll directions to simulate movement or direct a patron's viewpoint toward desired scenery. However, the center of rotation for each of these vehicles is primarily located beneath the passengers, resulting in undesired moving sensations as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,592,374 B1 and 7,033,177 B2.
There exists a need for a dark ride vehicle system that provides for simulation of movement (e.g. flight) that also allows for the effective presentation of scenery in all locations relative to the patrons, and eliminates the moving sensations that exist in vehicles wherein the center of rotation is beneath the passengers. The present invention, the preferred embodiment of which is described herein, meets this need, and further provides the capability for unlimited rotation control for the patron viewing seats and allows great flexibility in original design and modification of the rotation and simulation profiles.